MESA - For the past few years, they've shared ideas and insights about
education, and Arizona and the Mexican state of Sonora could be sharing
teachers and students if the states' superintendents have their way.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne and his Sonoran
counterpart, Horacio Soria Salazar, continued their education exchange
efforts Thursday with a tour of two Mesa public schools and the East
Valley Institute of Technology, where they spoke about creating an
exchange program between the states for career and technical education
students and teachers.

Horne and Salazar first started to learn from each other a couple of
years ago when Salazar made his first visit to Arizona. After that,
students, teachers and parents in Sonora became familiar with the school
accountability system Arizonans have come to appreciate.

But the road from Sonora to Arizona isn't one way.

On Horne's most recent visit to the Mexican state, he saw the potential
for institute students to broaden their horizons at the Cet-Mar School
for the study of sea technologies. Those Valley students, who learn
practical job and technical skills while they're in high school, could
learn about fields such as oceanography, and the institute can return
the favor for Sonoran students.

Horne also said he would like the program to serve teachers and students
in other fields and ultimately convert Americans who believe it's all
give and no take with our neighbors to the south. "I'm trying to battle
that stereotype, because there definitely are things we can learn from
them," Horne said.